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We recently had a guest ask us for suggestions for things to do with their kids. I believe their children are around 7 to 8 years old. There are lots of fun things to do around the Bungalow, West Seattle and beyond.

Starting with the Bungalow… we have several board games, books and a foosball table for our younger guest to enjoy. You’ll also find binoculars along with a binder pointing out various sights.

There are several waterfront parks nearby. Lincoln Park is one of my favorites for easy hikes and has two brand new play grounds. Lincoln Park also has Colman Pool, a heated salt-water swimming pool that’s open during the warmer months.

Continue traveling north towards Alki Point and you’ll see the Alki Point Light House. The Light House is open for tours during weekends over the summer months.

Keep along the water and you’ll find yourself at Alki Beach.

This stretch of sandy beach offers restaurants, shops and has a place where you can rent bikes. Wheel Fun Rentals even has a surrey that can fit a family of four.

There several nearby ferry routes. From West Seattle you can catch the Fauntleroy Ferry to Vashon Island for a fun day trip or board the walk-on ferry that will take you to down town Seattle (near the Pioneer district and the stadiums).

During the summer, there are often events at Alki or in the Junction (around California Avenue SW). Be sure to check out our events page for more info.

This is just a few ideas for fun things to do with children around West Seattle when you’re staying at Beach Drive Bungalow.

Or skip the local ferry rides and opt for the San Juan Islands trip that departs via Anacortes ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Drive down to the lighthouse Lime Kiln Point that looks over the Haro Straits to Victoria B.C. & where it’s likely to catch a peak of the local Orca pods hitting on the coho salmon that run north that time of the year. If you get back to Anacortes before 5:00 pm, drive north 30 minutes up gorgeous Chukanut Drive to the Samish Oyster shop for a few dozen oysters to pop on the BBQ. If you’re return arrival is later, take a detour on your way back south to LaConner for dinner and a stroll.

Another full day trip: Mt Rainier National Park is an all day round trip like the San Juans but totally worth it if the weather’s good. Excellent hiking up to the 10,000 ft mark of the mountain to Camp Muir.

Take in the falls. Take 1-90 about an hour to scenic Snoqualmie Falls. While you’re there, stop in Salish Lodge for a bite to eat or head out to North Bend. If you’re a Twin Peaks fan – you’ll probably recognize this area as a majority of it was filmed here.

Some local grub: Best local bakery’s for coffee & pastries are up the hill on California Ave. Bakery Nouveau beat the French at their own game in a competition. Gluten free goodies are a specialty at Great Harvest Bread Co located only 8 doors away. Also on the Ave are excellent restaurants including the best sushi in town – Mashiko’s (reservations recommended), local steakhouse Jak’s (also great for brunch and catch their happy hour hamburger!), Itto’s for delish Moroccan tapas and cocktails, fantastic brunch & gourmet fried chicken at Ma’ono’s or try the fish chips at Seattle Fish Company (you can also pick up some wonderful fresh seafood to cook up back at the Bungalow).

Closer to home. The best walk from the bungalow is north to Alki Beach and further north along the ave for a booming view of Seattle across Elliott Bay. Walking south from the house brings you to wonderful forested Lincoln Park.

Be sure to check out our other suggestions for things to do on our blog!

Just another block north at 4000 Beach Drive is Andover Place Park. This is a “street end” park that is tucked between two residential buildings.

Continuing north along Beach Drive, with the sound to your left, you’ll find Cormorant Cove. This park is just north of condos that are built on piers extending over Puget Sound.

Continue on to 3521 Beach Drive to find Constellation Park also known as Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint. A portion of this park is a marine preserve. This park stretches to furthest point of Beach Drive. The Alki Light House is just a few blocks away and a little further on is Alki Beach.

Lowman Beach at sunset

South of the Bungalow, you’ll find Lowman Beach Park at 7017 Beach Drive. A photo I took of windsurfers wound up being published in the book “Wings Over Washington”, a copy of which is available for your viewing during your stay in the bungalow.

Lowman Park neighbors one of my favorites, Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park has a salt water swimming pool that’s open during the summer months and plenty of trails and beaches to explore. You can watch the Fauntleroy to Vashon ferry run from many park benches or picnic areas. A portion of Lincoln Park is a marine preserve.

When exploring beaches at the parks, it’s good to know that beaches in front of homes are most likely private property and depending on the legal description, some properties have further property lines than others. Clams and other shellfish found in these parks are not be safe to eat. Speaking of shells, it’s important to leave shells and sea critters (like sand dollars) on the beaches. The Seattle Aquarium often hosts walks on some of the beaches – we do our best to publish them on the events page of this blog and to post them in the bungalow.

The Argosy Christmas Ship schedule has been announced. This year, one of the sailings pass by the Bungalow! You can watch the ships from the warmth of the living room, out on the covered deck or join the festivities!

Lowman Beach is south of the Bungalow on Beach Drive, next to Lincoln Park. You’ll be able to see the Christmas ships pass around 3:00 on the way to Lowman and again when they head to Alki Beach.

The Christmas ships will return later that night to West Seattle when they stop by Salties on Alki around 9:00 pm. You won’t be able to see this later cruising from the Bungalow, however you can go to the nearby parks by Salties to see the ships and join in on the carols.

As of the publishing of this post, December 10, 2016 is available for you to stay at Beach Drive Bungalow.

A few weeks ago, guest staying at the Bungalow who had tickets to see the M’s play the Twins asked for suggestions on what to do during their stay. I won’t go into the details of that game… but thought I’d share our suggestions with our readers.

In West Seattle, I recommend going to Alki to see the beach, Seattle skyline and people watching. Alki Beach is about 1 – 1.5 miles from here. You can walk along the shore from the bungalow and pass the Alki lighthouse (opens Memorial Day weekend). Here’s some things to do around Alki.

Rob suggestion for Saturday evening: Stop by Harry’s Chicken Joint (on California) and order some chicken and sides to-go (I like the gravy). Walk across the street and south to the Beverage Place Pub to have a beer or try the Bridge, while you wait for your chicken (approx 15 minutes). Take your to-go dinner back to Bungalow, slide open the doors on the balcony, turn on M’s game – channel 1764 (7:10 start), enjoy dinner and watch the sunset from the deck.

Did you get tickets to the M’s game yet? My husband buys the cheapest tickets he can find and stands over the bull pens (left center field) where they have a long counter you can stand at with your beverages and food. The upstairs tv in the Bungalow is typically set to Root Sports (channel 1764 to watch the M’s. 🙂

If you’re interested in brunch before the game, in West Seattle, I’d recommend:

Jaks Restaurant on California in the Junction by Alaska (our favorite steak house – they also have the best happy hour hamburger you can find)

Ma’Ono on California in the Junction by Alaska (they also have GREAT fried chicken)

Salty’s on Alki – this is a great spot. You can’t beat the views. The brunch is over the top… it’s just a bit pricey as it’s an “all you can eat” set up. (See more about Salties below).

If you’re taking your car to the game on Sunday, you could go to Pikes Place Market afterwards to explore, see the famous fish market where they toss salmon and perhaps pick up some farm fresh goods to cook up back at the bungalow. Parking is free on the streets on Sundays. You should be able to find parking on 1st Avenue south of the stadium (you will probably have to walk a few blocks). Or there are paid parking lots closer to the stadium.

Pyramid is a nice ale house with good food across the street from Safeco Field. We should mention that that the Safeco is known for their tasty restaurants (and pricey beers). 🙂

Salties in West Seattle has an amazing view. I recommend going to their bar for appetizers and/or cocktails. I think their dinners and brunch are pretty pricey and you can find better quality at other spots in West Seattle for the money… the view is the best.